Three Years Later
by kaimuki wahine
Summary: October 19.  Three years ago, four survivors fought their way for survival and were rescued. Now, three years later, they are all about to meet again after not seeing or hearing from each other for more than two years.  I don't own the L4D characters.


**Author's note: **Hi! KaimukiWahine here (but call me Kai :P). This is my first fanfic ever so please go easy on reviews and such. And apologies for any grammar problem in my story and such, writing isn't my strongest subject (that and I'm an Architecture major. According to my professors, architects are not the best writers.) But anyway please enjoy!

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><p>Waken to the sound of the alarm clock on his nightstand, Nick groaned as he turned the alarm off. He let his eyes wander around the ceiling for a bit until it landed back on the nightstand, on the calendar next to the clock. As he stared at it, he silently said, "October 19, huh." After taking some time to fully wake himself up, he got out of bed and prepared himself for the day.<p>

He dressed up in his favorite blue shirt and his white suit and looked around the room he was staying in. He never fully looked at his room because he just arrived last night and was busy preparing for the next day. He quietly said to himself, "wow, it looks almost exactly the same as it was back then." After looking around the room for a few more seconds, he walked to the desk where his laptop was placed the night before.

He opened the lid, turned on his laptop and went to check his email. Nick ignored all the unread emails he received and re-opened an email he received about three months ago and started reading.

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><p>After hearing the all-clear, that it was safe to return to the mainland, the four survivors decided to go their separate ways to see what is left at their home and maybe move on with their lives. Rochelle returned to Cleveland and see if there was anything she could do there and maybe salvage her job as a reporter. Coach went back to Savannah to see if he could locate his family when they were separated at the chaos back in the hotel, always praying they were on the helicopter that left as soon as they reached the rooftop. Ellis decided went on a little cross country trip to locate where Zoey and the other two survivors they met at the bridge back in Rayford went. Though the odds were against him, he was optimistic that he will find them one day.<p>

As for Nick, he decided to try and change himself for the better. He put his own shady past behind him and tried to turn over a new leaf. He tried for jobs that would put his firearm experience to good use but thinking that all his past experience as a conman would come back to bite him, decided on something else.

He eventually landed a job as a reporter in Chicago a few months after their return because he has ways of getting answers from people and can manage the pressure of being in the action. And on the side he secretly tried to be a writer, where he usually writes about his own experience during the zombie outbreak though most of what he writes was for his eyes only.

Since their return to Georgia and soon after their separation, none of the four talked to each other, never made any contact with each other. They all tried to pick up their lives after the outbreak and hoped to go back to living regular lives or somewhere near regular as possible. They all individually struggled, but they all managed to achieve such living alone. They were close to almost becoming strangers once again.

Until one day, Nick, Rochelle, and Coach each received an email.

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><p>Nick just returned home to his apartment after working at a nearby news station. He grumbled to himself on how getting things done in the station was horrible and slow. He kept thinking to himself that he should try for another station that would be better. After a few minutes of self-complaining, at the end, he was just relieved to be home again.<p>

After showering and dressing himself in his night clothes, he went to his desk, got out his laptop and did some work. After finishing some things for tomorrow, he checked his email. Most of his new messages were from the usual; people from the station and a couple of his friends he made in the station but moved to another in another town or state. He scrolled down the list, but one in particular caught his eye.

When Nick first saw the email titled "How ya'll doing?" from an unfamiliar address, he thought about deleting it on the spot and forgetting about it. But something in him thought about giving it a chance. When the screen loaded, Nick quickly grabbed his mouse and put the cursor right where the delete button would be once he thinks the message was garbage.

But once the whole email loaded on the screen, Nick was speechless.

_Dear Nick, Rochelle, and Coach,_

_How are ya'll doing? I hope you guys are doing well. It's been a long time since we heard from each other. For me, I've been doing well. I just returned back into Savannah after my search for the fellas we met back on the bridge in Rayford. And what do you know, I found them at the Florida Keys and they were all doing well and very healthy. _

_Anyway, I just saw that the Vannah Hotel, the place that we all met was about to reopen soon; in about I say three month or so. So I was thinking… Maybe we could all have our own reunion there. You know, on the rooftop where we were all shouting for the "whirly-birds" to come back. (Yes, Nick, I know it's called "helicopters" back then and now. So, shut up Nick.)_

_I would really like it if you all can make it and maybe even wear the same clothes we did back then just for the nostalgic feel (just no guns, because I don't think it's the best idea for that now). And maybe after that, we could just walk around Savannah and maybe even all the other places we have been to during our journey. Try to remember all the things we did there and how things have change and stuff like that since the outbreak ended._

_So, yeah. Just reply back on what you think. I really miss you all. It's been too long since we last seen or even heard from each other after all we have been through to survive the apocalypse. _

_Hope to see ya'll soon._

_-Ellis_

When he finished reading the email, a rare smile formed on his face. He started to wonder how Ellis was able to get all of their email address, but soon pushed that thought aside as he replied back to Ellis on what he thinks about his plan.

The replies from the four started to pour in within the first few days when it was first sent. Nick couldn't help but feel they were all waiting for someone to step forward, try to find them and bring them together. For some reason, he was glad Ellis was the one to do it.

The replies continued for a few weeks; they constantly were throwing out ideas of they could do together. They all wanted to ask how the others was doing as they continued to reply to one another but held back their questions because they each thought it would be better to ask in person.

After the constant emails back and forth from each other, they all agree to meet up at the hotel and try to reach the rooftop and maybe walk around the area to reminisce what they did three years ago at those locations. They plan to start from where they met at the hotel and venture to Rayford where they hope the three survivors will be able to come for a while and conclude their reunion in New Orleans. The trip was planned to last for possibly a week or two.

Each of the four expressed their own form of excitement that they will finally meet face-to-face after about two and a half years. They all prepared to mark the day and make sure they were given time off from their job to be able to go.

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><p>After re-reading the message and all their replies to each other, Nick smiled a little. When he checked the clock, he realized it was time. Shutting down his laptop and closing the lid, he stretched a bit and proceeds to the door.<p>

Stepping outside of his room, he seems his friends, wearing the same clothes they wore three years ago, racing down the hallway towards him.

Ellis raced to the staircase door and smiled at Nick as he passed by, with Coach lagging behind, doing the same. Rochelle, as she ran past Nick with a smile on her face, said to him the same words when we all ran to the roof top three years ago, "Come on Suit. We have to get to the roof. Rescue is about to leave."

As she reached the staircase door, Nick smiled and replied back, "Right." And he too started running to the roof of the building.

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><p><strong>AN: **Sorry again for any grammar problems. I proofread the story by myself. :[ But I hope you managed to read the story and enjoyed it. Thank you for your time! Much mahalos, much mahalos~ :D


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